TOPEKA, Kan. — More people were murdered in Kansas last year than any year since the inception of national crime statistics, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said Friday.
The number of murders committed in Kansas in 2020 hit a record at 193 - surpassing any year since 1959, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation first began publishing national crime statistics, the state agency said in a news release.
KBI released on Friday its annual Kansas Crime Index Report, which compiles crime statistics reported to the bureau by state and local law enforcement agencies across the state.
The report shows that violent crime in Kansas increased last year 9.5% from 2019. A total of 13,896 violent crimes - including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault and battery - were reported. The violent crime rate is 24.4% above the 10-year average for the state.
Aggravated assaults and batteries rose by 13.8%, while reported rapes and robberies both declined.
Property crimes overall went down by 1.2%. The only exception was motor vehicle thefts, which increased 9.4% last year.
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For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
